Gone
by Karin Ochibi-chan
Summary: Curdie's thoughts as he races to Princess Irene's room only to find her no longer there. Movie-verse


**Karin: Hey, here's my first Princess and the Goblin fic. I decided to do it for the movie-verse since the idea fit better with the movie. Hope you like it. **

**Disclaimer: **All rights to Princess and the Goblin belong to George MacDonald.

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"_When we lose one we love, our bittersweet tears are called forth by the memory of hours when we loved not enough" _–Maurice Maeterlinck

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**Gone**

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"Where's the princess?! Where's Irene?!" he exclaimed panicked. Curdie, in his frantic state, didn't bother waiting for the King's reply as he took off into the direction of the Princess Irene's room. The room he had left her with only the command to lock her door and the promise he would return.

The room where he left her _alone_.

How stupid was he! He shouted in his mind. Leaving her there—unprotected, unsafe, and vulnerable. Was he really as blind as to think that Goblins couldn't get through a locked door?

That Froglip couldn't get through a locked door.

Curdie cursed himself as he picked up speed, nearly falling as he skidded a turn towards her room. His heart pounded rapidly in his chest as his tired body begged for rest.

But he couldn't rest. Not now; not until he knew she was safe. He would only rest if he opened her door to find her still sitting in her room waiting for him to come back like he had promised. Curdie would only lay his worries to rest when he would be overcome with relief at finding Irene safe and sound like he had before.

"_Stay here and lock your door" _his words rang in his head. Stay here he had said. Stay here and wait until I come back he told her.

Stay here alone unprotected.

Again he cursed himself for not taking her with him. To keep her at his side at all times like he should've done. At least then he would know where she was and he wouldn't be drowning in worry unsure whether she was fine or not. What a fool he was. A blind, idiotic fool! Why oh why did he not take Irene with him?!

_Because then if she got captured, you'd have to watch as she was dragged away and that would break your heart even more, _a voice inside his head taunted to him. _Just think of her becoming the bride to that Goblin Prince. He'd break her and smash her into little pieces leaving her an empty shell. _

Curdie clenched his eyes shut in order to will the taunting voice away. Against his wishes however, pictures were forming in his mind with Irene being dragged down into the mines by that nasty Goblin Prince. She was struggling and crying. Tears flowed down her face like waterfalls and Froglip was laughing all the while.

_Look sun-boy! _The sadistic goblin shouted in glee inside his mind. _I've taken your precious princess and there's not a thing you can do about it. She's mine now, sun-boy! _

No! No! No! No! No! NO! He screamed in his mind running faster. Anger welled up in his heart as he pictured the Goblin Prince taking Irene away. Rage flooded his being as he pictured losing sight of Irene among the mines with that goblin's dirty hands on her.

Despair and the desire for wrath upon that Goblin Prince who was taking Irene away from him.

But the words just kept torturing him. The conversation of the Royal Goblin Family who planned to take Irene away. The way Froglip spoke as if Irene was just a tool to get what he wanted. The way that the Goblin Queen called Irene ugly and said they would always kept her covered up down in the mines. The way Froglip said they would keep her in the dark until she turned out like them.

"_Because whoever marries the Princess Irene will become _king_ of the sun people!" _the Goblin Queen's words snapped like a crocodile's jaws.

But Irene was more than that! She was not just a princess, but a human too! She had thoughts and opinions; dreams and aspirations; feelings and desires like any other person. She smiled brightly when she was happy. She cried when she was sad. She yelled when she was angry. Just a normal girl. An innocent girl.

"_Let me give you a kiss to thank you" _

"_Is that you Curdie? It's me! Irene!" _

"_I am human you know!" _

"_See Curdie! The thread _did_ lead us back!" _

"… _I see then… goodbye Curdie" _

"_But I do have a grandmother! ... I have…" _

"Irene!" he yelled bursting through her door. The room was in disarray—everything was torn and broken; smashed and lopsided.

But there was no Irene to be found.

Tears overcame his eyes as he heard the distinct calls of the guards in search of the little princess. There was no smile to greet him. There was no hand to reach out to him. There was no chance to apologize to her for what he had said earlier. There was no chance for her to fulfill her promise to him that she had made when they first met in what seemed so long ago.

There was no Irene. Only tears sliding down his face.

Because she was gone.

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"_There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messages of overwhelming grief… and unspeakable love" _–Washington Irving

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**Karin: there you have it. Hope it wasn't too OOC. Please be kind enough to leave a review if you can. I am thinking of doing more Princess and the Goblin fanfics in the future so it would be nice to know what you guys thought of this one. **

**See ya Next time! **


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